Simon Townshend Keith MAT2020 - No 0 June 2013 MAT2020 Emerson Bernardo Lanzetti Guy Davis Distorted Harmony Christopher Lee The Rocker MAT2020 is a Italian web magazine born in November last year, which tells stories of music. MAT 2020 - MusicArTeam speaks... MAT = MusicArTeam, a musical association recently es- [email protected] tablished. General Manager and Web Designer Angelo De Negri 2020 = is a year that corresponds to a deadline, a date of 1st Vice General Manager and Chief Editor Athos Enrile verification of the work done. 2nd Vice General Manager, Chief Editor and Webmaster Massimo ‘Max’ Pacini The topics and artists are very varied and so was born the Administration Marta Benedetti, Paolo ‘Revo’ Revello idea of a NUMBER ZERO in English. Web Journalists and Photographers: Corrado Canonici, Lorenza Daverio, Erica Elliot, Renzo De Let’s try, in hopes of finding interest also outside Italy. Grandi, Omer Messinger, Fabrizio Poggi, Davide Rossi, Riccardo Storti, Alberto Terrile In this issue there are many subjects, from Christopher Lee to ... Keith Emerson, Guy Davis, Simon Town- MAT2020 is a trademark of MusicArTeam. shend, Bernardo Lanzetti, Distorted Harmony and much more. And we hope you’ll enjoy MAT2020! 2 3 contents (click on the name to go to the requested page) Christopher Lee Distorted Harmony Smallcreeps Day Keith Emerson Unreal City Bernardo Lanzetti Guy Davis Betters Lucy Jordache David Jackson Simon Townshend Sonja Kristina Katie Cruel (Ita) 4 5 by CORRADO CANONICI hat would you do if you reach 91 year la who won the World Guitar Idol and is con- of age and had worked with quite lit- sidered in the rock world as “the next Carlos The cover of “TheThe cover Omens Of Death” W erally all the major movie director and ac- Santana”. tors/actresses in the world, performed as Dracula, Star Wars’ Count Dooku, The Lord Of t is very exciting listening to “Char- The Rings’ Saruman? You retire, right? No, of Ilemagne: The Omens Of Death”: is an course not. So what do you do? Obvious, the absolutely phenomenal album. Compositions first thing we all would have done at 91: we’d and arrangements are top-level stuff, let alone record as a singer, a heavy metal album about the band and the guest singers are technically the story of the emperor Charlemagne called incredible. Add to this already good recipe, “Charlemagne: The Omens Of Death”! the thundering voice of Christopher Lee (per- fectly in tune, not easy at 91) and you have a e are talking about Christopher Lee – result which is totally unique. Wor, as he is appropriately called in Eng- land due to his title, Sir Christopher Lee. The previous album’s cover. had the pleasure to work with Sir Christo- I pher in 2009/2010 (he was already 88…) for the previous album of the Charlemagne se- ries, a symphonic metal album – with a strong prog taste – which at that time received ‘just’ 20 million hits on MySpace and had Lee win- ning the 2010 Golden Gods Award, presented to him by Black Sabbath’s guitarist Toni Iom- mi at London’s 02. The beautiful music was Christopher Lee composed, orchestrated and conducted by Marco Sabiu. ut for Saruman that was not enough, The Rocker Bhe wanted ‘real’ heavy metal; and here Richie Faulkner comes, Judas Priest’s guitarist from Saruman to a metal god (wow!) to arrange some of the pieces, includ- ing new compositions with the collaboration of Hedras Ramos – a guitarist from Guatema- 6 7 ut be careful, “Charlemagne: The Omens BOf Death” is serious heavy metal, stuff for tough guys – beer, tattoos, blood and skulls! If you prefer prog atmospheres, then listen to the previous one (”Charlemagne: By The Sword And The Cross”); but if you have enough guts for the true heavy metal, the one grinding your guts and sending you head-banging till you faint, then the new al- bum “Charlemagne: The Omens Of Death” is exactly for you. Anyway the curiosity of lis- tening to a legendary actor of the calibre of Christopher Lee turning heavy metal vocalist is an experience nobody should miss. Last but not least: believe it or not, it looks like Chris- topher Lee is a direct descendant of Char- lemagne, his family even has a Holy Roman Emperor’s coat of arms… “Charlemagne: The Omens Of Death” has been released on 28th May 2013, exactly on the day of Christopher Lee’s 91th birthday. It is worldwide distributed, including all Ama- zon sites. Besides downloads and CD ver- sions, there also is a very beautiful vinyl lim- ited edition. © 2013 Corrado Canonici CD, download or vinyl: Link Amazon Album preview, including an interview to Christopher Lee: Album Preview 8 9 With their debut album “Utopia” have been one of the revelations of prog-metal scene DISTORSIONSMeet the Israeli group Distorted Harmony through and the words ofHARMONIES Yoav Efron, keyboardist and founder by ANGELO DE NEGRI pics by OMER MESSINGER 10 11 The questions are answered by Yoav Efron; and lyricist and has written most of the lyrics metal and progressive music, each of us has Keyboardist, founder, main composer and for our album “Utopia”. He also has his own a different musical background and I can say producer of Distorted Harmony. Israel-Rock band. we’re very diverse in that aspect, it’s a blast On Guitars we have Guy Landau. Guy is an arranging and rehearsing together. For in- To start, can you tell us the story of the group, amazing guitar player, a great musician and a stance, Misha is much more pop oriented. from its origins until today? really passionate dude. He’s a very versatile Guy and I both started as Jazz musicians Well, I would say Distorted Harmony was guitarist who likes both heavy metal, progres- and have then went each to different styles “formed” when I met Yogev (Drums) back in sive music while listening and playing indie, of music. Guy brings his love for folk music, 2009, but the whole concept started in 2006, folk and jazz music. He also a member of Mi- his love for simple (and amazing) rock music that’s when I started writing and composing sha’s Israeli rock band. such as the Foo Fighters etc. I didn’t like Met- the first sketches - which will later become On Keyboards we have Yoav Efron (myself). al music until I was 22-23, then I discovered Utopia (2012, album). I compose the music, produce it and play Opeth. I would say my biggest influences are There were a few drummers before Yogev, the keyboards on it. I started as a Jazz player. Muse, Porcupine Tree and shit load of Jazz but when I finally got a hold of him (he was in moved on to composing music for picture, and Metal music (meshuggah). Metal and the IDF’s military band and was busy as hell) decided I want to do Rock/Metal and realized Progressive music was very new to Iggy when and we started practicing together - that’s I want to be a record producer. Besides Dis- he first joined us - coming from the likes of when the whole concept was formed. Dur- torted Harmony, I also produce other artists. the Red Hot Chilli Peppers and Funk music. dream” basically speaks about A gadget, ing a short set back (due to his busy schedule On Bass we have Iggy (Jalapeno) Cohen. Iggy Yogev started as a metal-head, but has since something we all have and how we basically in the IDF) I met Misha (Vocals) while I was is one of the best Bass players I had the pleas- evolved into a Jazz, RnB and Gospel junkie. It treat it, we open the box, we’re excited, then searching for a lead Vocalist for the project. ure of working with. He has a very unique may seem too much, but all of those are part we lose interest and get a new one. But be- I didn’t take too long and Yogev was out of character and love for music and he brings it of our work, our arrangements and the way hind each gadget there’s an untold story of the army and ready to start working again. to the rehearsals. He comes from a different we see Distorted Harmony - and we believe suffering and loss. Kono Yume talks to the The guitarist at the time was too busy and we style of music; he’s a huge fan of the mars vol- that’s what makes us a little unique in the gadget as if it were that person. knew we had to find a new one.. Both Misha ta and the red hot chilli peppers and it shows Progressive Metal scene. In my quests for someone to write lyrics for and Guy (Guitars) are members of an Israeli in both his playing and musical ideas. He also our songs (before Misha and I started work- rock band called Hatachtonim, so I asked Yo- used to play the clarinet. Distortion and harmony, two opposed terms ing together), I asked a friend to write a love gev if Guy would fit the job of the guitar play- On Drums we have Yogev Gabay. Yogev is def- in the name of the band. What does it means song, but with a twist. Breathe has a very er for our project.. he did! Now all we needed initely one of the best drummers I know, here for you? “sleazy” verse, and I asked him to make a love was a bass player.